Ok so basically all some one would need is the color codes of the color to start with and the code of the color you want it to fade towards so there would be no need to use gimp to create the gradient image (or learn another skill).

This is another area where some plain English descriptions would help FUDforums popularity, such as defining "rgba", explaining what the various sections of the CSS modify or apply to etc.

use the website i posted in the op to see css3 goodiness in action.

In a theme I'm working on, I've replaced the background graphics for the forum table headers with css3 gradients. Most (if not all) modern browsers support them - even mobile browsers), and if they don't, a solid block of colour will be shown instead, so it's backwards compatible. the code? simple!

from www,css3please.com where the gradient is red at the top, and white at the bottom:

background-color: #ff0000;
  background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(top, #ff0000, #ffffff); /* FF3.6 */
  background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear,left top,left bottom,color-stop(0, #ff0000),color-stop(1, #ffffff)); /* Saf4+, Chrome */
  background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(#ff0000, #ffffff); /* Chrome 10+, Saf6 */
  background-image: linear-gradient(top, #ff0000, #ffffff);
            filter: progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.gradient(startColorStr='#ff0000', EndColorStr='#ffffff'); /* IE6IE9 */

if you want to be really fancy, you could use rgba to define an alpha of the gradient!

using css3 gradients is a lot faster, and doesn't need to pull the images!

from www,css3please.com where the gradient is red at the top, and white at the bottom: